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The Pittsburgh I-Net

Explore the opportunities, experiences, and lessons from Robert D. Carlitz's exploration of Pittsburgh's digital landscape. Discover strategies for collaboration, network building, and community growth in the information era.

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The Pittsburgh I-Net

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  1. The Pittsburgh I-Net • Opportunities • Experiences • Lessons Robert D. Carlitz Information Renaissance Pittsburgh, PA April 6, 2001

  2. Opportunities • Rebuild of cable system • Fiber/coax hybrid • Possibility of laying extra fiber • Shared infrastructure • City • Schools • Libraries • Community groups

  3. Themes • Value of dark fiber • Common needs of diverse groups • Economies of scale for aggregated services and support • Political complexity of building meaningful collaborations

  4. Structures • City’s negotiating team • External consultants • Schools • Libraries • I-Net Working Group • Information Renaissance • 80 community service organizations

  5. Responses • Rejection by AT&T of dark fiber I-Net • Preference for managed services • Acquiescence of city to this position • Evolution of parallel negotiations

  6. Fragmented I-Nets • City I-Net • School I-Net • Library I-Net • Community I-Net • Statement of Principles between AT&T and the I-Net Working Group

  7. Implementation Today • Cable system — partially built • City I-Net - partially built • School I-Net — partially built • Library I-Net — partially built • Community I-Net — not yet built • Alternative mechanisms for connectivity — many possibilities

  8. Alternatives • Smart Buildings • common backbone/shared Internet access • shared user support • Point to point wireless links • rapid deployment/low recurring costs • Excess capacity of school I-Net • Public waves via DWDM

  9. Practical Lessons • Aggregation lowers costs • New technologies enable service to new audiences • Anchor tenants can make a network affordable • Flexibility and creativity can exploit new technologies for public benefit

  10. Philosophical Lessons • The Digital Divide reflects a division between rich and poor • The local regulatory process needs mechanisms that encourage the deployment of new technologies adequate to support sustainable community services

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